With the click of a button or a simple four digit text on your cell phone, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has made it possible for both company owners and truck drivers to let Ministers of Parliament from their province know how and why they support the introduction of a universal electronic on-board recorder (EOBR) mandate in Canada.
"Many companies and drivers have already embraced EOBR technology and others are either in the process of introducing EOBRs\electronic logbooks or are awaiting the anticipated regulation to make the technology mandatory," says David Bradley, chief executive officer of the alliance. "We're inviting carriers, the majority of whom we know are in support of EOBRs, and the growing number of drivers who, once they have experience with EOBRs see them not as a threat but as a positive thing, to voice their support for a mandate directly to federal members of parliament.”
CTA, a federation of the provincial trucking associations, representing over 4,500 trucking companies that employ over 150,000 Canadians, has for many years supported the introduction of an EOBR mandate for all trucks where the driver is currently required to complete a paper logbook.
An EOBR is a device used to track, collect and record electronic data regarding a vehicle's operation. In this specific case, the function of an EOBR would be used solely to monitor a driver's hours of service (HOS). EOBRs for the purpose of monitoring HOS come in a wide variety of applications that can easily serve all types of trucking operations.
All people have to do is visit CTA's home page at www.cantruck.ca and click on the "Support EOBRs" button. From there, they can choose which type of letter to send in English or French. By entering their name and province, a message of support will automatically be sent directly to their MPs.
Professional commercial drivers can also send a four digit text code from their cell phones that will trigger a text message to the MPs. Simply text the letters eobr to the number, 77777. Or, to send the letter in French, text: eobrfrench to 77777.
"It's important that our elected officials hear from those who support an EOBR mandate, not just those who oppose enhanced compliance monitoring," says Bradley. "Paper logs are an ineffective and archaic way to monitor compliance with the hours of service regulations for both the regulators and the industry; if the rules were introduced to combat driver fatigue and we're serious about making our highways safer, then the MPs need to get behind an EOBR mandate."